Weekend Getaways near Mima

About Mima

Dec 8th: Arrive in Dimapur airport and head to Kohima ( 2 -3 hour drive)
Check in at Mima village guest house, approximately 2.5 hours away. Take a short guided tour of the village. Meet one of the village elders in the evening for a story telling session of the village and the folk tales while sipping some local rice brew.
Mima village is an Angami tribe village and is close to the Hornbill venue. Mima is famous for its apiaries where the bees have their hive underground.
Take part in cultural and traditional sports activities at Mima village each evening of your stay here. Get back in time from the Hornbill for dinner and these vigorous and fun activities.
Exclusions (at extra cost)
1. Tea/ coffee, breakfast, lunch, snacks
2. Rice beer - should you choose to try some

Picture perfect overcast skies, dramatically green valleys and a hundred or so silvery waterfalls make Shillong a destination beyond definition. This one city will make you realise how you can find beauty at every corner! Whether it is the awe and wonder that captivates you as you enjoy the panoramic views of the city from Shillong hill, or the charm of isolation that draws you in the surrounding groves of tall, evergreen trees of Upper Shillong, every nook, every street, every lane here has a story that is waiting to be unraveled. But if there is one thing in Shillong that is even more attractive than its natural beauty, it is the eclectic mix of cafes and their unwavering bond with music. Is it any surprise, that while the world was enjoying the trance of parties in Goa, or the taste of Israeli food in Dharamshala, Shillong created a niche for itself amongst people looking for unique music and delicious food! Here's a list of the best cafes in town for some delectable bites and soaking in the local vibe.

Next morning we got up and got ready to head back up those 3000 steps. We started walking by 10 and made it to the top by 12. We then tried to find a taxi to take us to Mawlinlong but as it was a Sunday we soon realized none of the share taxis was running.So we went back to Shillong ( share taxis were available for this) and the next morning leave for the village. We made it to Shillong by 7 in the evening all tired and wet. Got into a restaurant, ate dinner after what felt like ages and then decided to start looking for a hotel.MAWLINGLONG VILLAGE

Start early the next morning as there are many attractions in Shillong that you'll not want to miss. First visit the Cathedral Catholic Church, which is built in Gothic architectural style and lies amidst expansive lush lawns. This cathedral was made a shrine in the year 1980. It was constructed atop an emerald-colored hill and has stunning stained glass installations and tall arches.Timing: 7:00 AM – 6:30 PM

Had we set alarms to wake up, we would have been late! The first light of dawn hit our room at 4:45 am in the morning and the view outside was enough to make us leap from our beds and get ready to begin an early first day of our trip.

ShillongShillong, called as 'Scotland of The East', the capital of Meghalaya, is the only hill station in the country that is accessible from all sides. With beautiful roads, crystal clear lakes, mesmerizing waterfalls and impressive mountains, there are several picturesque places to visit in Shillong.

After caving, we were dropped off at Police Bazaar, Shillong. We put up at a hotel for the night & caught some much needed R & R. The next day we visited the famed tourist spots of Shillong but nothing compared to the virgin beauty of the hamlet we had left behind. That very night, we had our train back home. In the evening, we hired a taxi that would drop us to Guwahati Jn from where we would get on the Kanchenjunga Exp. We had shopped from Police Bazaar earlier in the day and concluded our shopping at the souvenir shop in the station. With our bags heavy but our souls replenished, we caught our train back home.In hindsight, this is the trip that shaped my travel preferences & personality. Now, I identify myself as a backpacker hungry for experiences in places still unmapped as opposed to someone who'd spend exorbitantly for a resort stay-cation.

Dawki-Tamabil (India – Bangladesh)Looking for a place still left to be explored by many and an international border to visit? Then, Dawki is what you are looking for. Dawki is a village that connects India with Bangladesh and is also called Asia's one of the cleanest village. The Ungmot River, which falls on the Indo- Bangladesh border, separates the two countries and is known for its Emerald coloured water.

Mawlynnong to Shillong via Dawki and Shnongpdeng (140 kilometers)There was not much to do at Mawlynnong so we started for the much anticipated Umngot river bed at Dawki. The road passed through narrow villages giving us a slice of life of the people of the Khasi hills. We reached Dawki by noon and were delighted to see the clear water of the river bed. We hired a boat and enjoyed the whole experiences. There were places where we could see the reflection of the boat all the way to the river bed and it seemed as though the boat is floating in thin air! At one place I saw a bamboo structure built for people to take a jump in the river. I couldn’t resist the temptation and thoroughly enjoyed my share of diving and jumping! After monkeying around for a couple of hours we continued to Shonongpdeng which was similar to Dawki except it had lots of options to camp beside the river and do a lot of adventure sports. We were tempted to stay for the night there but we realized we won’t do justice to the place by staying just one night so continued towards Shillong. We reached Shillong late in the evening and saw even more people at police bazaar probably because it was the Christmas week. Finding a hotel proved more difficult than last time and we had to go beyond our budget to spend the night. This was our last night in the land of the clouds and we were about to take the honeymoon ride to an international level the next day!

Sitting at Rita's Cafe, I decided to get to Kohima. I didn't have an ILP and that was bothering me. But I asked a travel operator on my way back to the hotel, and they said that it was no issue at all. I got a ticket for a Winger to Kohima for the next day.The winger took off for Kohima at 6am in the morning. 150 kms of the journey was covered in 5 hrs, given that there were barely any roads anywhere. The roads at most of the places are being widened, and the air was filled with dust. As we came close to Manipur Nagaland border, one could witness the beautiful town of Mao. The landscape was filled with terrace farms, with hills pink with cherry blossoms.We entered Nagaland, and the entire vehicle was scanned. I was thinking of situations in mind when they would ask me for my ILP, and the way out. But despite my non-ethnic face, they ignored me, and the vehicle was allowed to move out after they had checked the luggage.

At 4.30 AM, I was up; ready by 5; and by 5.30, my cab guy had managed to get his tank full. Petrol is an issue in Imphal, and I had found women selling bottles of fuel at the roadside, much late in the night. The sun was up, bright, and people were out, jogging, taking strolls by then. But as we moved out of Imphal, dense fog covered the roads for the next 2 hours, until we were far deep in Manipur. At 8 am, the cab broke down in the middle of nowhere. And we spent a good 1.5 hrs in getting it fixed. Good that the driver knew almost all the drivers who passed by, and got a gang of them to help him out. Meanwhile, I munched on the dried fish snack that I had got at Loktak, enjoying clouds visiting the blue hills below. My phone started showing wrong time, picking up the local time of Myanmar, and I got confused if we had spent 2.5 hrs repairing the vehicle.

Before I left for Manipur, I did my research and wanted to do Dzuko valley trek which can be done from Viswema or zhakama in Nagaland. I tried my best to get ILP by applying couple of weeks earlier to my departure but the same has been sitting "In Progess" State even now. I read few posts saying there is a route from Manipur side opened by MMTA which takes just 5hours which turned to be HOAX.First things first, people who want to enter nagaland from manipur side can do it even without ILP. As I heard from locals, there is no place to get and there is no one to check if you have ILP.I landed in Imphal airport expecting a taxi stand who can help me reach the base camp and as its just 110km, I was not expecting the taxi cost to be more than 1650(110*15rupees). When I reached the airport, I was surprised to see that there were hardly 3-4 taxis and no one even ready to take me. Finally I found a guy who asked 10000/-. I heard its 7000 from Kohima side for pickup or pickup and drop as everyone wants to charge you for both sides/Even the autovala asked for 350/- for 7-8km. So, I took a service auto right outside the airport and headed to ISBT looking at some big hoardings projecting Revival of Manipur transport blah blah blah, but I was surprised to see a very Big Bus stand but no Government buses.

Two days out in the open had tired us out, so we spent the next day resting for sometime in our hotel room. Late in the afternoon we left to explore the city of Imphal, for there were quite a few promising locations here as the map told. Manipur was one of the places where battles of World War II were fought between the British and the Japanese forces, with Indian soldiers feeding the British manpower. Needless to say, Imphal stands testimony to many tales of wartime courage and resilience and pays homage to its martyrs. We visited a couple of these monuments - The Red Hill and Shaheed Minar, while exploring the the streets and markets of this lovely city. One of the interesting markets we came across was the Ima market, where all the vendors are called Ima, or Mother. Manipur is famous for its handlooms, and we made quite a few exquisite purchases to make the folks back home happy.The week had passed so soon that we did not even notice. Soon it was time to say goodbye to this lovely little town and head back to our busy city lives. When we boarded our flight for return, it was with a rejuvenated mind, a spent but fresh body and a contented and happy heart.

Our flight landed in Imphal amidst mild fog. Since it was August the summer was already past and winter was looking to creep in. The monsoons were meanwhile blessing the state amply, and we almost feared our trip would be all but washed out. However, right from the time we landed, the Sun God kept us good company, making the weather remarkably pleasant for outdoor activities. A quick shower and a sumptous breakfast at the Classic Hotel where we had checked in, we were ready to make most of our five day trip. We were very sure that we did not want to visit the usual places that people went sightseeing - monuments, parks and the like. So we directly headed to those places that makes Manipur befit its name.

With two states left in my “to-wander” list of seven sisters, I chose Manipur over Mizoram because of its accessibility from Dibrugarh. Roaming nearby Imphal made me realise that all the states I travelled in NE were far behind in terms of beauty in-front of Manipur. The extraordinary beauty of this place justifies its name – Mani-pur.Traveling here was a completely different experience than other states in NE. Manipuri’s don’t bother about Hindi or English much. They are happy with Manipuri. They have so difficult names of everything. Be it a place, person or something to eat. Girls here are gorgeous and open minded than any other state. Almost 90% of its land is covered with hills. Their local food is so different, tasty and easily available. They take sprouted beans and black tea as evening snacks. Almost all the traffic signals in Imphal had a lady inspector. The local museum will fill you with lot of information about Manipur. There is a market in Imphal called Ima market. Ima means mother in Manipuri. This huge market is run by mothers. Mothers sell vegetables, flowers, dried fishes, groceries, local handloom and a lot more here. A few of the Ima’s here understood and spoke Hindi and English. And interacting with them was a homely feeling.

We then left to the main taxi stand to get ourselves a share taxi to Cherapunji (It would make life easier if you could rent a bike from here and do the entire journey on it but we couldn't get our hands on any bikes).The taxi cost us around 80 rps only and in about 2 to 3 hours we were in between the clouds. We couldn't see what was 10 meters ahead either.It really was the wettest place on earth and we were there during the wettest season.CHERAPUNJI:Now that we were in Cherapunji our next step was to find a place to stay which turned out to be not too easy as the first place we went to- hostel By the way, we got kicked out as the owner did not like us!Finally, we found one place which agreed to give us a room for 1000 rps a night and we decided to spend the night there.

On the way there are many amazing views and waterfalls. All you have to do is enjoy the ride and do not get tempted for every scenic beauty on the way. We reached cherrapunji around 6 again. Damn, it was dark. As it was wet all around we wanted to take cheap room or camp this time within a compound. Luckily, we met a rider who offered us place with tent. We offered him some drinks in return ;) Now this is where we made nearly 4 very good friends.. sharing their life experiences driving Sumo around meghalaya. Its so good, how few drinks can get you such an amazing conversation with strangers. All you have to do is smile, and there are many stories waiting to be told.

After breakfast, set off for Cherrapunji, well known for receiving one of the highest rainfall in the world. Cherrapunjee is localy known as Sohra and is situated at a distance of 56 kms from Shillong. On the way is the Mawkdok Valley which is a very prominent sighseeing for tourists. Then on the way we visit the Nohsngithiang falls (Seven sisters falls) which is known to be the symbol of the Unity of the Seven States of North East India. After that we head for Thangkharang park, located just besides the Khoh Ramhah rock and offers a 180 degree view of the Bangladesh plains. Later than we visit the Mawsmai cave, a major crowd puller that leaves tourists spellbound. After trekking in the majestic cave we move for Eco Park, which hosts several hybrid and indigenous orchids. It also offers a breathtaking view of distant Sylhet Plains of neighbouring Banladesh.Attractions: Mawkdok Valley, Nohsngithiang (Seven sisters), Thangkharang, Mawsmai Cave, Eco Park.Part 4:

The next morning Ban took me to the tree house of Mawlynnong, managed by Lajong guest house, where one can get a get a glimpse of Bangladesh. After the morning tea, I bid goodbye to the Don Bok family and as arranged by Ban we set out for Nohwet View point, in his friend’s Ambrose’s taxi. The mountains of Sohra are right in front at this viewpoint. I was longing for the waterfalls that lied ahead, their thundering plunge calling out. Ambrose dropped me at the Pongtung cross roads (400rs) from where I got another cab till Pynrsula (50rs) from where another cab helped me reach Shillong (70rs). Reaching Shillong, I went straight to the Police bazaar and had a heavy Chinese cuisine for lunch. I made a mental note, avoid Chinese food before traveling. It made me gastric and sleepy. But then hunger pangs and the foodie in me goes berserk. Even before I reached Sohra (70rs) it started pouring. How wet can God be. From Sohra it was ~13 kms till Nongriat. Being a Sunday, no cabs were available further (in general even). (3pm) I started walking and was prepared mentally to cover the distance in 4 hours; by 7pm I should reach Nongriat. To keep track of distance left, I asked every occasional face I spotted, "Nongriat kitna door hai". People gave such frowning doubtful looks. An old lady deemed it impossible, her voice mocking my spirit. Above that I did two wrong things already, I could have managed to reach early, daylight recedes quickly in such a rainy weather and I was wearing floaters; floaters maybe convenient for short distances, beaches but never for long distance walking, especially if it’s raining. It was only after I crossed the cement factory at Mawmluh, did I encounter civilization and cars started making appearances. I tried my luck asking for lift but nobody seemed to care about a stupid guy getting himself wet walking in the rain. After walking certain stretch, a car stopped and windows rolled; perhaps my luck is back again. Two men with their driver were going towards a border area. They were Bengalis and owned a mining area near the Bangladesh border. Being Bengali helped. After hearing what I embarked upon, they put sense into me that it would had been a futile effort trying to reach Nongriat at this hour. I had my return train from Guwahati next day at 12.30pm. Somewhere, I might have miscalculated my timings. Even somehow if I had been able to reach Nongriat, there was possibly no way I would have been able to enjoy the place per se and make it back to Guwahati station on time. So I tagged along with my newfound saviors. Throughout they took care of me as their own, provided me with dinner on our return way where we stopped somewhere, at a road side eatery. By that time, it was pitch dark, car tail lights glowed devil red. It was still raining heavily, sprayed by winds blowing in full gust; I was trembling. I wished how soon would I return to a warm bed. It was 11pm when we hit Shillong. They wished me luck and I thanked them a lot. I got into the first hotel I could find a room (600rs), as loitering alone at night might not be a good idea; they tend to trouble outsiders. That night sleeping in the hotel room, I could only dream, had I continued on my path how things would have been different. But things not going my way were perhaps a blessing in disguise; another reason for me to come back again and explore the picturesque beauty that lies in Sohra, Nongriat and many such places hidden in Meghalaya's chest.Khublei . Kynduhpat !(Bye, See you again)

If you love the rain, this is the place. A place far from all the hustle of the city and close to the clouds. Carry an umbrella , the weather is unpredictable but you will definitely love this place. Best place for the nature lovers.Norkhalika falls , one of the best scenic beauty.Double Decker Living Root Bridge, a must visit for adventurers.

Tourism department conduct one day trip to Cherrapunji which includes waterfalls (Nohkalikai is more famous), a cave, Ramkrishna Mission school and a garden. The high attractions are the waterfalls (during some seasons these get dry, one can avoid then) and the cave. The cave is quite big with some small openings for one to pass through.
One should also visit double decker roots bridge for which transport would be through either local taxis or a reserved taxi. One has to walk up and down almost 3000 stairs to get to the place (almost 1.5-2hrs). I also liked spending a night in homestay nearby and visiting the bridge early in the morning again when there was no crowd and the environment was calm.

Head to Dibrugarh on the morning of the 10th day for your return journey back home. Getting to Arunachal PradeshBy air: Arunachal has three airports in the state – Ziro, Along and Tezu, but these are usually served by connecting flights from Guwahati and Kolkata. The closest airport that is well-connected to the rest of the country is Guwahati. But depending on where you're going in Arunachal, you can also take flights to Tezpur and Dibrugarh.For this itinerary, we will use Guwahati as our base, which is 311km from Itanagar, the state capital, and is our first stop.By train: Around 43 km from Itanagar, Harmuti railway station in Assam) is the nearest train station connecting Arunachal Pradesh to other major cities of India. From there you can take a bus or hire a cab to reach the state.By road: The state is most accessible by road and easily approachable by all nearby states and cities. There are a number of state transport buses that run within Arunachal as well as connect it to the neighbouring states. The network of taxis is also well developed and preferred by most tourists as it is more reliable than the buses.Getting around Arunachal PradeshArunachal Pradesh State Transit (APST) runs regular buses across the state, but they mostly operate in the plains because of the condition of the roads in the more remote areas. And because of the terrain, the buses can sometimes be infrequent and unreliable. The main mode of transport is shared Sumo taxis for the locals and other cabs for tourists.The road network in Arunachal is not overly developed and it is often not possible to move directly between smaller towns and villages. You will often have to return to the plains instead of going directly from town to town.Best time to visit Arunachal PradeshBecause of the varied terrain, Arunachal is subject to a diverse range of weather conditions. The summers are usually warm, with temperatures going up to 35ºC, while the winters are cold and chilly with sub zero temperatures in several places. The monsoons receive a heavy dose of rainfall, so it is advisable not to visit during that time. Peak summers are from May to June, monsoons from July to September, and winters from October to February.Spring (March-April) and autumn (early October) are usually the best times to visit as the temperature is moderate and most of the places are accessible.Which is your favourite place in Northeast India? Write about your experiences here on Tripoto and check out our YouTube channel for some amazing travel inspiration.

Dibrugarh, AssamYou know how you crave that cup of tea to start your day, or at the end of a long hard one, or sometimes, just to wake up? Forget all of that. Welcome to Dibrugarh, the Tea City of India. Take a Tea Tasting tour and open your senses to the taste, the feel and the fragrance of the beverage your day depends on. Besides this, find exotic flora and fauna at Namdapha National Park or visit the Tilinga Mandir (also known as The Temple of Many Bells) for little adventures that the quaint town offers.

I landed at the Dibrugarh Airport to kick-start my journey. Dibrugarh is renowned as India’s tea capital. The finest tea in the world is grown here. This place essentially lies in the neighboring state of Assam with a few parts falling in Arunachal Pradesh. Dibrugarh is home to miles and miles of tea estates and the lush greenery brings many tourists here. There are a few national parks and botanical gardens to explore like the Jokai Botanical Gardens and the Saikhowa National Park and some Vaishnavite temples as well. This is one of the highly urbanized places, with universities and decent transport facilities. One of the few places in this part of the country where you can find a decent internet connection.

After two days at Mon we drove to Dibrugarh which was 200 kms or 7 hrs away. Situated in the northernmost tip of Assam, Dibrugarh is the gateway to Aurnachal Pradesh. Famous for tea, it has world’s largest area covered by tea gardens. After the long drive, all we could do is rest and prepare for the journey ahead.

In 'Yarrow Unvisited', William Wordsworth wrote about his fear of visiting Yarrow; thinking of how devastated he would be if the real Yarrow river and it's valley do not match up to his imaginative one. Believe me, it is quite easy to feel like Wordsworth too when you're about visit a place like Mawlynnong . Rated by Discover India, then again, by BBC Travel as 'The cleanest village in Asia', a quick Google search will make you excited enough and your heart will set off racing in anticipation as you drive through fog to head to the famous village.A fellow traveller on the next seat and this writer were talking about our 'Yarrow Unvisited' situation as the Meghalaya State Transport bus we were on climbed down East Khasi Hills with fog-lights on, courtesy our late start from Shillong. On hindsight, we were being over dramatic because a couple of hours later we were setting foot there. But since it was already dark, I couldn't form any impression. And that was left for the next morning, as I slithered into the camping tent set up for the younger and more adventurous among us.The weather was damp, humid and boy, it was hot. Bah Risot, our host for the stay at Mawlynnong poured us a strong brew of local red tea as we try to familiarise ourselves with the environment. He speaks impeccable English and for my first impression of this famous village, this was quite good. He, like most Khasi men, have moved here since his marriage to a local woman. For the uninitiated, Khasi society is a matrilineal one. Unlike the rest of world (mind you, there are only a handful of matrilineal society), men move into their women's house in marriage and inheritance are given to the daughters. Probably, one of the deciding factors in making Mawlynnong the cleanest village in Asia, considering the fact that women are by nature much more particular about cleanliness. Skyview, a treetop view of Bangladesh or rather the swampy upper plains of Syllhet district of Bangladesh, came free (much like complimentary breakfast with hotels). He would charge 20 bucks for others who would like the opportunity to climb the bamboo walkway. The view is nothing to write home about but the sky does look good in the early hours as the sun rises up. Maybe that's why Bah Risot had named it Skyview, instead of Bangladesh view.So, how does this village manage to bring in over 200 tourists everyday? We're about to find out. The roads are properly tarred; with flowers of every kind lining its streets, complemented of course by trash bins made out of split bamboo. One can't call it dustbin because it's more of a basket. You'll find the womenfolk pulling weeds from their garden and if you ask around enough they'll tell you that the village has been like this, way before it was discovered. It wasn't like one day they decided to compete for the title of the cleanest village by overhauling themselves or as one might assume adopted by an NGO to be a model village. They say it's a traditional thing. Bijoya Sawian, also wrote in a book I picked up from Shillong, that cleanliness is an inherent Khasi trait. I'll take his words for it.Mawlynnong with all the modernisation around it, is still a village. And this place carries the charm of a virgin bride. It was ages ago since I last saw so many crabs in a brook. One morning, we managed to find about enough crabs for lunch in under 20 minutes. Mind you, crabs come out at night and we were only picking up the ones who stayed out late in the morning. Living Root Bridge, a bridge formed out of tree roots is a spectacle. It is perhaps the only living and breathing bridge.Sukher, a young local lad who also speaks decent English walked me through the history of Mawlynnong. He organise trekking trips to the outer part of the village and with all his enthusiasm told me of a place reminiscent of James Cameron's Avatar. To my regret, I couldn't club the foray in the schedule of my short stay. He also told me of how unfortunate it is that tourists who visit the place litters. It's ironic because one will have to assume that you go to a village famous for cleanliness to learn something about it. Unfortunately, in India it's the photo ops that matters. The photos of you standing near a monument/statue/bridge with which you can brag about to friends and relatives that matters.Mawlynnong is not just another tourist spot. It is not even a hill station. The village essentially remains a village. The only bit of commercialisation you see here in a tea-shop. And that, I believe is the most endearing part here.Having left Mawlynnong and then Shillong, I sat down at my hotel in Guwahati and thought about Wordsworth's fear. Was I disappointed? Far from it! "The things of reality are far more beautiful than things of imagination.", he wrote in Yarrow Visited. Forgive me if I sound like a parrot but I feel that way too.P. S: 'Bah' is a Khasi honorific used to address older male members. Much like 'Da' in Bengali and Abung in Rongmei.Looking for crabs in the early hour at Mawlynnong reminds me of the many fishing trips with my old man when I was younger. The experience made me miss him. Even more so, on a day like today. Happy Fathers Day.

The morning brought a fresh dose of enthusiasm with the hen’s clucking at sunrise and localites starting for their jobs early. It’s aptly declared the cleanest Asian village as we could see every native conscious of keeping the place squeaky clean, not allowing even fallen leaves to be left scattered on the roads. The village dustbins are made from jute instead of plastic and there’s no sign of dump/waste in the open anywhere in the village. We walked through the village and took a path which was leading inside forest for an early morning walk:

Mawlynnong:Mawlynnong village is known as the cleanest village in Asia. We could see there were bamboo dustbins all over the village, plastic bags are banned, and smoking is also prohibited. Also, do try to have the lunch there as it was mouth watering.

On our way to Dawki, we came accross a village at Mawlynnong. This is truly the cleanest village. The artifacts and hand crafts are made of wood and bamboo, the homes are constructed with Bamboo, even the dust bins are made with Bamboo. I couldn't even see a paper piece in the streets, let alone the plastic!

Nongriat to Mawlynnong via Tyrna (4.5 kilometers trek and 100 kilometers ride)Yet again, the day started with a trek. The walk back to Tyrna comprised of ascending 3000 steps but we reached there early in the afternoon. We loaded our bike and bid adieu to the beautiful kids of Tyrna village. Our route to Mawlynnong was via the same road to Shillong but the weather was totally different this time. There was dense fog all around and we finally got a sense why the state is called “Megh-Alaya”. We unfortunately missed the turn to the famous Nohkalikai falls in the fog and realized it only after going a long distance so we continued forward. A few kms before Mawlynnong the road became really narrow with dense banana trees on all sides making it difficult to anticipate the oncoming vehicles. We found it very difficult to find accommodation at Mawlynnong as even basic hotels were priced upwards of 2K for a night. Finally after wasting a lot of time we found a room in the attic of an under-renovation hotel which fit our budget. We then decided to explore “Asia’s cleanest village” and found it to be as clean as all the other villages of Meghalaya. By 7 pm everything was shut and we had a basic dinner at the only restaurant of the village. Overall we were a little disappointed with Mawlynnong and we would not recommend a night halt there.

On Day 6, we headed to the Asia's cleanest village, Mawlyinnong, which is located 90km from Shillong. It's close to the India-Bangladesh border. The ride from Shillong to Mawlynnong is an incredible one, with lush green bushes on each side of the road and lovely views along. The village was indeed very clean and neatly maintained. The locals are very welcoming to the travellers. They display warm gestures and smiles. The kids in the village are adorable, though some are camera-shy. After having spent some time in the village, we headed to Jingmaham Living Root Bridge.

Mawlynnong was awarded the cleanest village of Asia as the village consisting of 97 families had decided to build toilets in every house since 1989. We reached the village at around 7 pm. You would realize why it was awarded the cleanest village as soon as you enter.There was a Jingham (instructions in english) board right at the parking which told you what NOT to do here. We checked in a bamboo cottage booked by Airbnb. Reaching there I realized, we were being charged hefty for the small place just right enough to contain three people. The property was interestingly jointly owned by a 64 year old school teacher and a enterpreneur from Bombay who managed the bookings on Airbnb. After resting, we walked through the village till the Bangladesh viewpoint treehouse and the open farm in the opposite end. Till that night, I felt, I have almost covered the whole of Meghalaya since Jaintia hills is not much explorable. Well, i was proven wrong that night. After dinner , we happened to meet a Mawlynnong-er who was a guide by profession. That 45 minute long chat with him was the highlight of that night. He gave us insights to Jaintia hills and the offbeat treks that he organizes all the time. So, another trip will soon be planned ;)

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Dec 8th: Arrive in Dimapur airport and head to Kohima ( 2 -3 hour drive)
Check in at Mima village guest house, approximately 2.5 hours away. Take a short guided tour of the village. Meet one of the village elders in the evening for a story telling session of the village and the folk tales while sipping some local rice brew.
Mima village is an Angami tribe village and is close to the Hornbill venue. Mima is famous for its apiaries where the bees have their hive underground.
Take part in cultural and traditional sports activities at Mima village each evening of your stay here. Get back in time from the Hornbill for dinner and these vigorous and fun activities.
Exclusions (at extra cost)
1. Tea/ coffee, breakfast, lunch, snacks
2. Rice beer - should you choose to try some